US Chess Championship 2010: Benjamin Finegold v Varuzhan Akobian

1. d4

This tends to lead to Queen's Gambit/Slav positions or Indian positions.

1...Nf6

This move keeps open the possibility of either Queen's Gambit/Slav positions or Indian positions.

2. c4

White takes central control and prevents d5. If Black were to play 2...d5 then 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. e4 and the Knight has to waste time retreating. This is a good move regardless of which Opening system Black plays, which is why it is so often played right away. Something like 2. Bg5 can lead to interesting play and 2. Nf3 is also not bad. In some situations though, White's Knight is better on e2.

2...e6

Black prepares d5, and also can play the Nimzo or Queen's Indian Defenses.

3. Nc3

White allows the Nimzo Indian Defense.

3...Bb4

Black goes into the Nimzo Indian Defense. He could have still played d5.

4. Qc2



Hmmm, what was the name of this variation again? White has three major options, and this seems to be the most popular these days. 4. a3 is called the Samisch, and White tends to give up pawn structure and easy piece development for a huge center. 4. e3 is sometimes called the Rubenstein. White's idea is basically to develop and ignore Black's threats against his pawn structure. I looked it up, and 4. Qc2 is called the Capablanca or Classical system. White's idea is that Black cannot double his pawns. White's development can suffer a bit, and he isnt put under too much pressure. However, Black will either have to give up the Bishop Pair by exchanging on c3, or waste time retreating his bishop from b4.

I am frankly not to familiar with the Nimzo Indian. I play 1. Nf3 which avoids the Nimzo almost entirely. As far as in the old days when I played 1. d4, nobody at my level seemed to play the Nimzo Indian. It is a fairly complicated opening to play, and it is easy to screw it up. That is probably why its popularity at the lower levels is somewhat lacking.

4...d5

It is funny how the openings all have different names and books and such on them, but in effect they all use the same moves. Black takes advantage of White's defensive move Qc2 and takes some central control.

5. cxd5

White does not want to block in his Bishop with e3, and his c4 pawn is under attack.

5...exd5



Taking with the Knight allows 6. e4 with gain of tempo.

6. Bg5

Black is mildly threatening Ne4, so White pins Black's Knight to his Queen.

6...h6

Black immediately puts the question to the Bishop. White must decide if he is willing to allow 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 Ne4 or if he wants to exchange the Bishop for the Knight right away. I suppose a third option is Bd2 or even Bf4.

7. Bxf6

White decides to exchange right away.

7...Qxf6

Black captures without messing up his pawn structure.

8. a3

White also asks the Question to the Bishop. He wants to do this now, because his d pawn is under attack.

8...Bxc3+

Black decides to exchange the Knight. Be7 loses time and also might interfere with his Queen getting off the front lines.

9. Qxc3



White exchanges so as to keep the c file open, and also to preserve his pawn structure a bit.

9...0-0

Black gets his King out of the center. He can play this move and wait for White's moves to determine where he wants to develop his Queen side pieces. Note that the c7 pawn cannot be taken because Black would win the d4 pawn. Well, and the Queen would have an awkward time getting back

10. e3

White solidifies his d4 center pawn, as well as prepares the development of his King side.

10...Bf5



Now it is not so obvious why White cant play Qxc7. Maybe something along the lines of 11. Qxc7 Nc6 12. Bb5 (12. Qxb7 is bad because of Rab8 or Rfb8 and White's Queen side pawns come under attack) 12...Ne7 13. Nf3 Rfc8 and Black's Rooks can invade down the c file.

11. Ne2

White needs to develop his King side, and wants to get his Knight to g3.

11...Nd7

Black wants to finish developing his Queenside. If Qxc7 the Rooks will invade.

12. Ng3



White threatens Black's Light Squared Bishop. If Black moves the bishop back to e6, White can develop his Bishop to d3. If Black moves the Bishop to h7 or g6, than because Black's Knight on d7 is undefended, White can take the c7 pawn and Black will not get enough compensation.

12...c5

Now is a good time to push the c pawn. If White wants to spice things up a bit, he can take this pawn earlier and try to survive. It seems in this game though that White is fairly content with a draw. Given Finegold's position rating wise, this makes a good deal of sense. He probably does not much of a chance to win the whole thing, but he does have a good chance to have a strong outing. Getting a draw against Akobian is a good result, and Finegold can try and mix things up a bit more against some of the lower rated opponents.

For Akobian, there is not much you can do to spice things up if White is so cautious.

13. Nxf5

White simplifies the position.

13...Qxf5

Forced.

14. Bd3

White attacks the Queen so that it isnt defending the Knight.

14...Qf6

Black's Queen is under attack and must move. On f6, the Queen more or less pins the d pawn to the Queen. White does not want to play dxc5, Qxc3+, bxc3 when White's Queen side pawn structure is a complete mess. Qg4 might have been better to keep some life in the position, but it seems like White would have the better position after 0-0.

15. Bb5



White attacks Black's Knight on d7, which is currently unprotected. Importantly, the Knight is the sole defender of Black's c5 pawn, so Black does not want to move his Knight or allow a trade, after say, Qe7. After Rfd8, Black is still indirectly defending against dxc5 because of Qxc3+ ruining White's pawn structure, but White can play Bxd7 and if Rxd7 then Qxc5. Thus, Black's reply is somewhat forced.

15...cxd4

The pressure against the c5 pawn has become to great, and Black must trade it off. Note that the pawn attacks the Queen, and thus White cant play Bxd7.

16. Qxd4

The move exd4 is not very good because of Rfe8+ and all the sudden Black has a good amount of pressure on White's position.

16...Qxd4

Black has little reason to avoid the trade of Queens.

17. exd4

Forced

17...Rfd8



Black could have played Nf6, but White would have to screw up quite a bit in order to lose this endgame.

18. Bxd7

White trades off the last pieces except for the Rooks.

18...Rxd7

Forced

19. Kd2

White moves his King behind his d4 pawn. Here, it is very safe from the Rooks and it is also in a good position to defend the d4 pawn and various entry points along the e and c files. Note the King is doing a nice defensive job here, protecting e1, e2, e3, c1, c2, and c3.

19...Re8

Black moves a Rook to the open e file.

20. Rhe1

White opposes Black's Rook on the open e file.

20...Kf8



Black defends his Rook on the open e file, and at the same time moves his King closer to the center.

21. Rac1

White moves his other Rook to the open c file.

21...Rxe1

Black decides to trade a pair of rooks, rather than allow White to control the c file and contest for the e file.

22. Rxe1

White takes with his rook so as to control the e file. White does not want to decentralize his King with Kxe1.

22...f6

White is threatening to play Re5, which attacks Black's weak d5 pawn and maintains e file control. Also, Black's King is cut off from the center by White's Rook, so Black clears some space for Kf7-Kg6 and other potential advances.

23. f4

White does not want to allow Black's King to advance.

23...h5

Black wants to prevent a large scale King side advance by g4.

24. f5



White locks Black's g pawn in a backwards position.

24...Kf7

Black prepares to push g6, and undermine White's oppressive f5 pawn.

25. Re3

White prepares to move his Rook along the 3rd rank, where it can attack Black's h5 pawn, g7 pawn, and b7 pawn.

25...g6



Black does not want a backwards g pawn.

26. fxg6+

White does not want to lose a pawn, and it is difficult for him to defend the f pawn. He does not want to give up the e file.

26...Kxg6

Black retakes the pawn and his King is slowly but surely advancing.

27. Rg3+

White does not want to allow the King to invade unharassed.

27...Kf5

The Black King is coming!

28. Rf3+

White keeps up the checks and if the King moves to say e4, White wins Black's f pawn and will have a good shot at Black's h pawn.

28...Kg5

Black defends the f pawn rather than moving to e4.

29. Rg3+ Kf5 30. Rf3+



A draw was agreed here. Neither side really has a good alternative move.

This game wasnt exceptionally exciting, but for the Class A player and players in that skill range, these are great games to look at. A great question to ask yourself is, Why is it that I cant draw games like these against Grandmasters, but Grandmasters can do it in a way that looks so effortless?